


As a Keepsafe

by honEy D (nitori_chan_san)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluffy, Holidays, M/M, Spies & Secret Agents, soft, surprise visit, tenwin have a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22883296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nitori_chan_san/pseuds/honEy%20D
Summary: A small smile. Glistening eyes.“I’m home.”
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten
Comments: 5
Kudos: 67
Collections: NCT Rarepair Winter Bingo





	As a Keepsafe

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya, this is my very late submission for the Rarepair Holiday Bingo Fest! The tiles that I used are 'Lights', 'Surprise Visit', and 'Presents'. I'm aware that this isn't my best work but it was fun writing for this pairing for a change. I hope you enjoy!~

_ Click _

A cooking show.

_ Click _

The 9 pm news.

_ Click _

Some overrated award show.

With a frustrated sigh, Ten turned off the television and leaned back heavily in the back of the couch. Feeling like none of the possible sitting-positions were comfortable enough for him at this point, he moodily crossed his arms and turned towards the window on his left. It was already dark, yet he could see how small snowflakes fluttered down on the streets and pavements. 

Ten knew it was highly unrealistic, but he still hoped to spot that one familiar car somewhere in the distance. 

Sicheng had missed Christmas. 

And New Year’s Eve. 

He knew the reason why he was absent. His boyfriend had warned him for this; that he wouldn’t be home for most holidays. 

Still, Ten couldn’t help but miss and long for him to be here. What made it worse was that he had to lie about Sicheng’s whereabouts to his friends and family. 

Suddenly, a soft thud made Ten’s gaze break away from the window to look next to him.

A black cat laced with orange spots had jumped up the couch.

Ten smiled and dragged a hand over its head. One ear was missing.

“Hi, Alex. You miss him too, huh?”

Alex purred softly and pushed back into his hand. When Ten removed his hand, the cat immediately scratched the place of her missing ear. Her owner swatted the paw away.

“Stop that.”

He held the cat in front of his face. She struggled a little and meowed once as if she wasn’t enjoying it. Ten looked at her sternly.

“No scratching. What if it gets infected again. Do you want to make us worried again?”

As he placed the cat safely on the ground, she instantly ran towards Sicheng’s bedroom. Predictably, she climbed on the bed and curled into a ball on the sheets. Ten sighed. Yeah, he had done that too yesterday.

He thought back to the first day they had welcomed Alex into their tiny apartment after Sicheng brought her with him after a mission. Apparently, she had suffered injury from an explosion and her owners were either dead or in jail.

Oh right, Sicheng was a secret agent, working for the government.

When Ten had met Sicheng, he had thought  _ he  _ would be the wild one. Never would he have thought that calm, game addict and arguably cute Sicheng would be an expert with a gun and had been on more life-threatening missions than Ten had fingers.

It had been hard, realizing that he hadn’t just landed in an entertaining fictional story but instead in a difficult reality. However, after dating for a year and a half, Ten had somewhat come to terms with it. 

Ten would never forget the moment he found out about his boyfriend’s job when Sicheng had unexpectedly offered to live together after only six months of being a couple. His eyes had looked desperate, almost begging - so unlike the Sicheng Ten knew.

Initially, his answer had been no. They hadn’t been together for long and Ten wasn’t one to be tied down so easily. He had thought Sicheng wasn’t either. However, later that evening he had overheard a call between Sicheng and Kun -a colleague of his, he learned later- wherein Sicheng said that was afraid if he didn’t enjoy life with his boyfriend now, he might die without knowing how it felt to come home.

Ten had immediately demanded a conversation, shocked by the words, and gave Sicheng the opportunity to tell him the truth. And he did; he told him he worked as a secret agent. The reason why he never mentioned it was that he wasn’t supposed to tell him for a number of safety reasons. 

Oh and he also mentioned that he had never loved someone as much as Ten. 

They were not very emotional men on the outside, yet that night they opened up and shed tears over their pasts, insecurities, and fears.

Ten didn’t instantly say yes after the revelation. He wanted to try a few days of living together first. Moving was a big thing in his eyes. A few months later he finally caved and they moved into Sicheng’s small but cozy apartment. 

He never regretted it. Since Sicheng was often not at home, Ten didn’t feel caged and had enough freedom and privacy to do what he wanted. In fact, he had so much time alone that he missed Sicheng’s presence more than not.

Taeyong called him whipped.

Sometimes, when his insecurity time hit, Ten couldn’t help but wonder if Sicheng would have ever told him about his work on his own account. He was also aware that maybe it was better not to think about the answer.

Sicheng wouldn’t have.

Not because he didn’t love him, but because he  _ did  _ love him.

Though they had their obvious struggles, they were quite happy now: they didn’t have many fights, had wonderful sex, great conversations and took care of Alex together as if she were their daughter. Not unimportantly, Sicheng made a lot of money, which allowed Ten to focus on his dancing and art. 

Still, a cloud of suspense always hung around his boyfriend and their time spent together - as if any second Ten’s happiness could be taken away from him. More than once he had thought about if it wouldn’t be wiser to just break things off. 

But the heart wants what the heart wants. And Ten’s heart definitely wanted Sicheng.

With a huff, Ten stood up from the couch and turned on the Christmas lights fastened to the kitchen counter. It spread a warm glow throughout the tiny apartment and made it feel a little cozier. He had taken down the Christmas tree a week ago but somehow he liked how the lights still gave him a sense of the holiday season that he adored.

Plus, there was no need to keep the room dark and wallow in self-pity. Ten could entertain himself just fine.

Languidly, Ten went to retrieve his sketchbook and a few pencils from his room and returned to the living room. Ten’s room was not their main bedroom but it was his own working spot. It also contained a single bed in it, in case Sicheng wasn’t home like now so he wouldn’t have to inhale his boyfriend’s scent with every breath he took at night. It was also a great solution for when he or Sicheng needed some space or privacy. Strangely, sleeping in his own room helped to miss his lover a little less. 

Cross-legged, Ten sat down on the floor, leaning his back against the couch, and opened the sketchbook on the glass coffee table. His art was mostly abstract, yet sometimes he couldn’t resist the temptation to put down his boyfriend’s gorgeous features on paper.

After he finished half of his lover’s face, his eyes started to become droopy and not soon after, he fell into a short slumber with his cheek against at coffee table and pencil touching the tips of his fingers.

\--

Ten was startled awake by the sound of rustling plastic. Angrily, he wiped away the leftover drool from the corner of his mouth and sat upright on the floor. He ignored his protesting back and sleeping leg.

“Miss Alexandra! I swear to god, if you’re chewing on plastic again, I will-”

His words got stuck in his throat when he laid eyes on a plastic bag, held by a hand that undoubtedly belonged to his boyfriend. He was crouched down to be able to brush his hand over Alex’s head. However, all his attention was now directed at him.

A small smile. Glistening eyes. 

“I’m home.”

Without a word, without even a breath, Ten jumped up from his spot on the floor and speed-walked towards his boyfriend before throwing his arms around him in a tight embrace. Sicheng’s warmth engulfed him immediately and he let himself drown in it - it felt as if summer had temporarily arrived in wintertime.

“I’m sorry I missed everything,” Sicheng whispered in his hair, his arms, too, tightly wrapped around his lover. 

Ten shook his head and pulled him even closer, hands fisted in the other’s coat. “Don’t even dare to apologize. All that matters is that you’re here right now.”

He could feel Sicheng smiling. “Okay.” 

-

They ended up on the couch after their heartwarming reunion. Currently, they silently enjoyed each other’s company, side by side with their shoulders touching and their hands almost innocently intertwined. 

Ten almost dozed off against Sicheng’s side until suddenly he thought about something. He let go of Sicheng’s hand to reach behind a pillow of the couch. He nodded his head to his boyfriend. 

“Catch.”

Gently, he threw a small linen bag to Sicheng, who caught it (after almost dropping it). 

“Your reflexes are not what they used to be,” Ten joked at the pointed look he received.

Sicheng shook his head. A small smile tugged at his lips. “You shouldn’t throw with presents in the first place.”

Ten lifted his chin. “Well, go on. Open it. It’s kind of a late Christmas present.”

At the mentioned holiday, Sicheng immediately looked at the bag guiltily. “I’m really sorry I-”

“Open it!” Ten said while rolling his eyes.

Carefully, Sicheng opened the linen bag and let the content fall in his other hand. His eyes widened upon the sight.

“Is this my grandfather’s pocket watch?” Sicheng watched him with an incredulous look. “It broke,” he continued. “Like, it was impossible to fix?” 

Ten shook his head, happy with Sicheng’s reaction. “I took it to someone I know is really good with clockwork and stuff. Apparently it could be fixed after all. Come on, open it.”

Sicheng’s mouth was still half open when he pressed the underside of the watch which made the top part pop open. Out fell a piece of paper, revealing the graceful, old watch itself. Sicheng held it against his ear and sighed when he heard the familiar ticking sounds. After admiring the fixed watch, Sicheng took the folded paper with questioning eyes and started to unfold it. 

When he opened it, Ten could see the emotion that crossed his boyfriend’s features. Ten adored it when Sicheng’s eyes turned to slits and his mouth curved in a reserved smile whenever he felt touched. 

As soon as their eyes met, Sicheng laid his gift on the couch and moved towards him in one breath before connecting their lips for the first time that night. With one hand on Ten’s thigh and the other on his cheek, Sicheng kissed him only with his lips, but full of passion. 

It was a very unexpected gesture. Ten didn’t know how much he missed getting affection until right at that moment. As if he still couldn’t believe it, he tentatively placed both his hands on the side of Sicheng’s neck, pressing their lips together a little firmer. 

They broke away after a minute or so. Sicheng wasn’t the most affectionate person on earth but he still thumbed the place under Ten’s eye, muttering out a “Thank you.”

Ten grinned, still flushed from the unexpected kiss. “What’s gotten into you so suddenly?”

Sicheng shook his head. “Just you and your stupidly beautiful art.”

The piece of paper was a new piece of art Ten had created for Sicheng. His boyfriend was one of the only people who could decipher his art a little and Ten wanted to give him something that would remind him of home on his missions. Ten knew it was dangerous for Sicheng to carry pictures with him or jewelry but he had always taken his grandfather’s pocket watch with him on missions before it broke. 

(Another reason for bringing the watch along, beside sentimental value, was because there was a secret button on the top that could give out an SOS signal to the main office whenever Sicheng was in grave danger)

A piece of Ten’s art meant a piece of his heart, and nobody would know that except for them. It was the perfect reminder. Ten knew that Sicheng sometimes struggled with keeping in touch with reality and not succumbing to paranoia. This way his boyfriend could carry a piece of him to bring to mind that another life, a home, was waiting for him.

Sicheng’s head had dropped to Ten’s shoulder and Ten carded his hand through the other’s chestnut strands. He had missed this. So much.

A comfortable silence fell over them as they sank into their own feelings and thoughts.

“Alex has gotten more rebellious ever since you left,” Ten mused eventually as the cat was trying to climb up the kitchen counter via the Christmas lights - which was obviously forbidden territory. As if she could hear Ten’s comment with her one ear, she stopped trying and drooped off towards her sleeping place.

Sicheng watched the scene fondly. “She got that from you, obviously.”

Ten softly kicked Sicheng’s knee. It was more a nudge. “Shut up, secret government spy.”

His boyfriend took his head from his shoulder and rolled his eyes. “For the last time, I’m not a spy.”

“Whatever,” Ten retorted playfully. He then shifted his attention to the plastic bag Sicheng was carrying earlier. His boyfriend, as mysterious as he was, brought home the most unexpected things when he came back from work. Ten couldn’t help but be curious. 

“What’s in that.”

Sicheng eyed him bashfully and waved his hand dismissively. “It’s just wine from the supermarket.”

Ten feigned hurt. “So you travel around the world for your spy business, attend the most luxurious parties and you bring wine from the supermarket across the street?”

“I really wanted to bring something more special but I didn’t have-” 

Ten felt laughter bubble up his chest at his boyfriend’s kicked puppy face.

“I’m joking, baby.” He shifted closer and nuzzled his shoulder. Faintly, he could hear a sigh of relief from Sicheng. “You’re all I need right now.” Ten grimaced a second later. “Oh god, that sounded sappy as fuck. See what you make me do?” 

Feeling like joking around didn’t suit the atmosphere that much, Ten lifted his head and placed a hand on his boyfriend’s cheek, looking right into his dark brown eyes. “All jokes aside, I mean it. I’m really happy you’re here.”

Sicheng smiled and wrapped an arm around Ten’s frame, leaning into his touch. His eyes always showed so much emotion. Sicheng was a guarded man, but Ten was proud that he had been able to make him so comfortable that he let all those walls down.

“Me too. It feels really,  _ really  _ good to be home.”

A pause. Ten watched as Sicheng’s smile turned more playful.

“If I’m all you need shall I return the wine then?”

Ten groaned in his shoulder. “Okay, I need you  _ and  _ the wine.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading;; I'd love to hear your thoughts. 
> 
> ~ honEy D | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/WalkYuHome)


End file.
